The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 279

III. TnE sTnANGE INCREDULITY OIi' CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP. Our Master, who was eo gentle cmd so considerate, here employs a very strong expression (ver. 25). This is the language of serious reproach; it is a weighty rebuke. The disciples of Christ ought to have read their Scriptures better, and they ought to have heeded the reiterated warning and promise he had himself given them of his death and his rising again. But while we wonder at what seems to us their slowness to learn and to believe, are we not a.s obtuse and as incredulous as they were? Do we not fail to grasp the pro- mises of God as they are written in his Word, as they were spoken by his Son our Saviour? When those things happen which we should expect to happen in connection with the teaching of Divine truth; when the Spirit of God works mightily and merci- fully in the souls of men; when hard hearts are broken and stubborn wills are subdued to the·obedience of Christ; when wrong and shameful lives are changed into pure and holy ones; when the kingdom of God comes amongst us ;-are we not surprised, incre- dulous? Are we not tempted to ascribe these issues to other than heavenly sources? And yet ought not this very result to happen? Is it not precisely what we should have been looking for, and wondering that it did not occur? We shall probably find abundant illustrations of Christian incredulity to match anything of which we read in our New Testament. "Slow of heart" a.re we to believe all that the Master has said of the presence and the power and the promises of God..-C. Vere. 13-32.-F'Urlher lessons by the way. Other lessons beside those already gleaned (see preceding homily) await our hand in this instructive story. J. THE TRB.EAD 011' TRIAL WHICH RUNS THROUGH THE l!'ABRI0 01!' OUR LIFE, On one occasion our Lord asked a question of one of his disciples, and of that question it is said," This he said to prove him" (John vi. 6). 'l'here were other occasions, e.g. that of the blind beggars by the wayside, and that of the Syro-phrenician woman, when JesUB said things to prove or to try those who ea.me to him. We have the same thing here. He drew near to these two disciples in the guise of a stranger; he chose to remain unknown to them; he drew them out a.s if he were one unacquainted with the events which were filling their minds and hearts; he induced them to discover them- selves freely and fully both to his own eyes and to theirs ; moreover, he was in the act of passing on, and would have gone beyond EmmaUB if they had not arniled themselves of the opportunity of persuading him to remain. And thUB he tried them. The "trial of our faith," and of our love and loyalty, forms a great part of our Master's dealing with ourselves. It explains many otherwise inexplicable things in our life. God appears to us other than the kind, gracious, pitiful, considerate Father that he is; Christ seems to be other than the present, strong, faith-rewarding Master that he is. Why does God let such things happen to us? Why does not Christ briog to pass that for which we labour and pray so earnestly? It may be that, in these cases, he is trying us; proving the sincerity and deepening the roots of our faith and lo'l'e and zeal. We shall be the stronger, and our lives will be the more fruitful, for bis action or bis lingering, a little further on. II. 'l'm: TRUE WAY TO MAKE THE SABBATH A DELIGHT. It was fitting that on the first sabbath of the Christian era there should be recorded an instance in which the day was spent as Christ would have it be. What n pleasant picture this of communion with Christ, of searching the Scriptures, of sitting down at the same table with him I We have here: 1. Communion with our Lord. About one-fourth of the whole day these favoured men were conversing with Christ, opening their minds and outpouring their hearts to him, telling him their hopes and their fears, and receiving kind and illuminating responses from his lips. So should our "fellowship he with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ," on the" day of the Lord." And as we may be sure that the way to Emma.us was marvellously shortened that afternoon, and the village houses showed themselves long before they were looked for, so will earnest and loving communion with our living Lord, so will our walking with Christ, make the hours go swiftly by on the wings of holy aud elevated joy, and we shall "call the sabbath a delight." 2. Sacred study. (Vere. 27, 32.) How wonderful these Scriptures which contain the record of Divine revelation I So short as to be capable of being committed to the memory, and yet so full as to contain all that is needful for our enlightenment and enrichment, for guidance to God and heaven; so dull to the unquickened conscience, LUKE,-11. U  290 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [oR. xx1v, 1-53.